Saturday, April 30, 2016

Roku UK Channel Store - Weekly RoundUp #164

Hi, everyone !!

Just like this time one week ago... there hasn't been much, in terms of Roku-related news, during the past seven days - ever since my last 'Weekly RoundUp' post was published - but, thankfully, we have (again) been blessed with a bumper crop of new channel additions to occupy our time. Having said that, there was one particular channel (which will appeal to fans of classic horror / cult films) that - whilst published via the web channel store on the Roku (USA) website - was (sadly) not made available via the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. The channel, to which I'm referring, is:-

As with other Roku channels that are (initially) unavailable to UK Roku users, I reached-out to the creative mind behind this channel... cult filmmaker, producer and director of more than one hundred genre films over the past thirty years - David DeCoteau [Twitter Feed: @DavidDeCoteau] - to ask if his 'RapidHeartTV' channel for Roku devices could be extended to UK users of the streaming media player(s). Although I have yet to receive 100% confirmation, I'm pleased to say that David did "like" my suggestion and took note of my pointers for editing the Roku channel to make it available here.

Should the necessary changes be implemented, you can expect to see the 'RapidHeartTV' channel feature in a future 'Weekly RoundUp' post on this blog. Until then, in addition to the information contained in the 'Roku Guide' review (see link above), those interested in learning more about the channel should visit the official website - VIA THIS LINK - from where more precise details, as to the type of content on offer, can be found. Meanwhile... thanks to an official 'YouTube' channel from the folks behind 'RapidHeartTV' - FOUND HERE - anyone (including those of us from the UK) can sample the videos on offer by searching 'YouTube' on Roku devices for "Rapid Heart TV" and simply playback any content, in that way, until such a time as we (hopefully) do get this channel in the UK. For those who'd like to communicate with 'RapidHeartTV' via social media, there is also an "Official" Twitter Feed for the channel. So, please message: @RAPIDHEARTtv with any enquiries. Thanks! :-)

There were two other new Roku channels released during the last seven days which did not feature in the "New" category of the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store... but, unlike 'RapidHeartTV', were made available to UK Roku users via the "Themes" genre. You will find them featured below (at the end of the current list of channels) but, since new Roku themes don't come along too often (especially here in the UK) and are therefore (moderately) newsworthy, here's a couple of screenshots for you:-

HINT:- Please CLICK on the above images TO ENLARGE them for easier viewing !!

Unfortunately, the fact that these new themes were not included in the "New" category of the Roku channel store in the USA (or, indeed, anyregion) has meant that they could easily have been missed. This was (presumably) the case with the folks at 'Roku Guide' who have yet to publish a review for either of the above new Roku themes. Were it not for the fact that I consistently double-check the figures for each channel store genre (or, "category", if you prefer) from each week to the next, they would (most likely) have gone unnoticed by me, too. However, since changes to the total number of available themes are not that commonplace, a jump of two in the total was easy to spot! ;-) The only down side is that (for now, at least) there are no active links to 'Roku Guide' reviews for either theme.

Needless to say, you can expect the "missing" reviews to be added to this post once they do become available. Meanwhile, it is worth noting that these channels are already available to Roku owners in the USA (as evidenced by their inclusion under "Themes" in the Roku web channel store) and readers of this blog from the United States can follow the links provided below (and to the left of) these, plus each and every other channel icon listed here... to view their respective channel descriptions until such time as the reviews are published by 'Roku Guide'. Unfortunately, Roku UK users are still subject to restrictions (imposed by Roku) and (bizarrely) remain unable to access the channel descriptions in the web channel store on the Roku (USA) website. That said, the majority of the text from those web store descriptions can also be found within the individual channel descriptions from the built-in "Channel Store" (accessed via "Streaming Channels" from the main menu) on all Roku devices and, together with the associated screenshots (where available), should give you a pretty good indication of what those channels are about. Hopefully Roku will (one day) wake-up to the fact that improving the experience for users in "other" Roku "regions" is just as important as it is for those who buy & use their products in the U.S. and denying access to the Roku website does not help the end-user experience for those of us (outside the USA) who wish to browse the web channel store. Anyway, what Roku doesn't want UK Roku users to see on their website (i.e. the list of new channels) is regularly summarised on this blog in my 'Weekly RoundUp' posts and so, ignoring the "missing" links for now, here is what we have for you so far this week:-

***FILED UNDER: "THEMES" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***

PLEASE NOTE:- That, as mentioned earlier in this post, there is (currently) no active link to an 'Roku Guide' review of the 'WheelsOnFire' theme for Roku devices. Those readers who are located in the USA - or, who have means of "appearing to be" from that region - can, at least, access the web channel store description via the one link I have included above... which is below (and to the left of) the channel icon that features in the built-in channel store on all Roku streaming media players. For the benefit of those Roku users from the UK (or, indeed, elsewhere) who (for whatever reason) are unable to use the above link, here is a screenshot of the description from the web channel store:-

HINT:- Please CLICK on the above image TO ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!

That pretty much sums it up, really... since the included link (on the website) to "Read more" doesn't actually provide any additional text than can (already) be seen from this screenshot. Other than the image provided earlier in this post, the only extra detail for this "channel" or "theme" comes courtesy of two more screenshots which I'll (also) include here for those unable to access the Roku website:-

AGAIN:- Please CLICK on the above images TO ENLARGE them for easier viewing !!

Until such a time as an 'Roku Guide' review is published, this is all the information that I am able to provide for the 'WheelsOnFire' theme. Having said that, once the details for any such review have been made known to me, I will (as I've said previously) add the "missing" link to this post! ;-)

***FILED UNDER: "THEMES" in the Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***

PLEASE NOTE:- That, as with the 'WheelsOnFire' theme above, there is (currently) no active link to an 'Roku Guide' review of the 'DirtRider Theme' for Roku devices. Again, those readers located in the USA - or, who have means of "appearing to be" from that region - can, for now, access the web channel store description via the one link that is included above... below (and to the left of) the channel icon for the 'DirtRider Theme' featured in the built-in channel store on Roku devices. For the benefit of Roku users from the UK (or, indeed, elsewhere) who (for whatever reason) are unable to use the above link, here is a screenshot of the description from the web channel store:-

HINT:- Please CLICK on the above image TO ENLARGE IT for easier viewing !!

As with the 'WheelsOnFire' theme (above) that pretty much sums it up... since (just as before) the included link (on the website) to "Read more" doesn't actually provide any additional text than can (already) be seen from this screenshot. Other than the image provided earlier in this post, the only extra detail for this "channel" or "theme" comes courtesy of two more screenshots which (again) I'll include here for those unable to access the Roku website:-

AS BEFORE:- Please CLICK on the above images TO ENLARGE them for easier viewing !!

Again, until such a time as an 'Roku Guide' review is published, this is all the information that I am (currently) able to provide for the 'DirtRider Theme'. Once the details for any such review have been made known to me, I will (of course) add the "missing" link to this post! ;-)